Sons vs sons: Parties get personal, continue slugfest amid alleged Bitcoin scam

BENGALURU: With rivals BJP and Congress training their guns at the sons of politicians from the opposite party in the Bitcoin scam, the slugfest refuses to die down. KPCC president DK Shivakumar has alleged that the names of family members of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a few ministers, BJP state president and BJP MPs have figured in a written complaint that has reached the Prime Minister’s Office, in connection with the scam.   

He was reacting to Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s claim that Shanthinagar Congress MLA NA Haris’ son Mohammed Nalapad won the Youth Congress elections through hacking with help from Srikrishna alias Sriki, the key accused in the Bitcoin scam. The name of Darshan, son of former Congress minister Rudrappa Lamani, was also brought to the fore by the BJP

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP on its official twitter handle shared a picture alleging that the late son of Congress leader Siddaramaiah, Rakesh, had a nexus with Sriki’s friends Hemanth Muddappa and Sunil Hegde. “It has been 5 years since my son left us but our family is still grieving. It is unfortunate he will not be able to reply to the allegations on him. @BJP4Karnataka is trying to get personal to pursue their dirty agenda in politics (sic),” Siddaramaiah rued.

“It is alleged that an important @BJP4Karnataka leader had received Bitcoin as quid pro quo for mediating the release of Hemant Muddappa when he was arrested with Srikrishna. @nalinkateel may know who that leader is (sic),” Siddaramaiah questioned. “In Bitcoin scam, the names of certain BJP leaders’ sons are coming out. But keeping quiet as I should not drag them without evidence. The BJP leaders have pelted stones at a beehive and do not know whom the ferocious bees may sting,” he said in another tweet. 

In Karnataka politics, mudslinging and dragging in names of family members is not new. It may be recalled that BJP Karnataka vice-president B Y Vijayendra was accused of misusing the CMO when his father B S Yediyurappa was chief minister in 2008 and  2021.